Finished garment: #monetaparty dress!

Hey, hey! Long time no see! The Instagram #monetaparty hosted by the lovely Triple Stitchers - Elle, Abigail and Rach - was just the kick up the backside I needed to finish a UFO and write a whole blog post! They do so love a Moneta and between them have made many beautiful ones - go check them out!  I've made the Colette Moneta pattern (1 and 2 and) three times before - all of them blue so I was in the mood for a different colour - and I warn you that my dress is BRIGHT! You might need sunglasses to view to photos😎😉

Fabric
I chose a coral solid cotton spandex knit from Girl Charlee UK (they no longer have it on the website though). I have used it to make a Tilly and the Buttons Agnes too (not blogged!). It's lovely and soft, but it is very much more stretchy than I imagined it would be, and this did cause a few problems with the fabric stretching as I sewed (and I forgot to use my walking foot - doh!).

Pattern, Alterations and Fit

I started this hacked Moneta dress in May last year and now that it is finished I'm dreaming of summer again so that I can wear it properly. It's definitely a bit too pink to style with tights for the winter!

For this make I lengthened the bodice and lowered the neckline (I'm not keen on the higher neckline on me in the previous versions I've made). I needed to size down too and actually, I had to take the side seams in somewhat whilst construction was underway. But, it is easier to take it in, I suppose.

I made version 1 (sleeveless), with no collar. I also didn't want to line the bodice so I had to change the construction a little - I added a neck band (I think that I measured the neckline once the bodice was constructed and cut out a neck band that was 10% smaller) for a more sporty look and re-shaped the armholes and bound them with some binding made from the same fabric. I had had problems with a twin needle on this fabric with my Agnes top (skipping stitches), so went with a triple stitch for the top stitching.

With this stretchier than expected jersey I found that the skirt pulled the bodice down a lot (& perhaps I over lengthened the pattern?!). The waistline ended up a few inches lower than it should have. This was particularly frustrating because for the first time I had nailed the clear elastic shearing on my first attempt (yay!) and then successfully overlocked the skirt and bodice together. Tears were shed! I lopped an inch or so off the bodice and reattached it too the (slightly shorter, because who can be bothered to unpick serging?) skirt. 

After I had re-attached the skirt, the waistline had stretched out and I fell out of love with this make and it hit the UFO pile very quickly! However, after failing to find any fabric that I loved to make another Moneta for the party, I decided to give this one another chance. I'm very glad I did. It was very quick and simple to finish, and I even managed to successfully hem it using a twin needle.

What I love
The colour of this dress is lovely, it really does feel very summery and I can't wait to wear it in the warmer weather. I love the finishing of the triple stitch top-stitching around the armholes and the neck band on this version. I would use these methods again.

What I'd change
I'd use my machines walking foot during the construction - I think I did stretch out the neckline a bit when I was sewing it. 
When I took in the side seams (after initial construction) I couldn't be bothered to add in the pockets again. I think I will miss not having pockets, so would definitely add them in again on my next version.

Finally...

Moneta is a good pattern! I really like this dress and think the lower neck and neck band really work well. I love the colour so much, I feel very girly in it!

Thank you to The Triple Stitchers for inspiring me to finish my dress. Enjoy the party!